Motor-meter lock



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MOTOR-METER 3100K.

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Speccation of Letters Patent.

TD i`if i, f n. a atenten may Si ff Application filed October l, 1920. Serial No. 413,965.

To all wlzomfifzfty concern:

Be it lmoivn that l, Dim E. lli/limon, a citizen ot the United States. residingat Oakland, in the county ot ljottaivattamie and State of', Iowa, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Motell- Meter Locks, ot 'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in locks especially adapted for use on motor vehicles.

More particularly, this invention aims to provide a lock Which may be employed for preventing the theft of motor meters employed extensively on motor vehicles for indicating the temperature of the water in the radiator. The aforesaid motor meters are connected to the cap ot the radiator and by simply unscrevving the radiator cap. the meter is removed from the radiator. There.- fore by locking the cap of the radiator to the neck of the radiator, the theft ot the meter is prevented.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a lool: ot the class described which .may he applied without altering the construction of the nieter or the radiator and which when in position will not mar the appearance ol the vehicle to an appreciable extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock of the class described having novel means whereby the same is prevented from rattling due to the` vibration or move` ment ot' the machine.

The invention forming the subject matter ot this application aims also to provide a lock of the class described which is ot' highly simplified construction, neat in appearance and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of .the invention Will be apparent during the course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the proved lock applied; i

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view Ythrough a radiator, the improved lock being shown applied.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodimentof the invention, the numeral 5 designates a radiator having a .neck l through which Water may be introduced into the radiator. The usual cap 7 is provided with au interior-ly screw-threaded flange l0 threaded onto the neck G to close the radiator.

A motor meter designated by the nie 'meral l2 is provided with a shank lei. which is extended through an opening 1G in the cap and which is engaged by ai nut 1S arranged ivithin the cap. Upon tightening the nut 18, the flange 2O at the base of the meter is firmly engaged with the cap so that the meter securely held in position. The shank A is, ot course, hollow so that the temperature ot the water uithin the radiator will be caused to act on the indicator and thereby register the temperature on the indicator ot' the meter. It will be seen that by merely unseren-ing the cap, the meter also will bc removed so that unless some theitpreventing means is provided it will be a oompzuatively easy matter to steal the meter.

The invention forming the subject 'matter ot' this application and which is adapted'to prevent the theft ol? the meter embodies an attaching plate mounted flatly upon the radiator cap :unl provided with an opening 2li which receives the shank il. The flange 2O at the base of the meter is drawn sen curely into contact with the attaching plate when the nut 18 is tightened whereby the attaching plate is held firmly in position.

As illustrated in Fig. 2. one end port-ion of the attaching platell is extended beyond the adjacent side of the cap T an(r hingedly supports a hasp designated by the numera 30. The attaching plate and the hasp are connected. by means of a hinge pin 52 tended through alined hinge barrels fr in the attaching plate and the hasp, though it is obvious that any other suitable means may be employed for swingingly connecting the hasp to the member A keeper' generally designated by the numeral 36 is provided with a looped head adapted to be passed through an opening 40 inthe hasp and engaged by a pad lock 42 whereby the hasp is locked to the neck (l.

The shank 44 of the keeper is slidable through an opening 4G in the neck (i and is surrounded by a retractile coil spring 48 which serves to draw the entire keeper inwardly or toward the center of the neck, whereby the hasp is drawn flatly into contact- With the -front oi the radiator head so as to prevent rattling. Also the spring 45% draws the hasp inwardly .so that the pad lock will be yieldably held in position and will be prevented from rattling during the travel of`the vehicle. A tensioning nut 5() is threaded on the shank 44 and serves a stop element for one end of the spring 48 while the WallA of the neck 6 serves as a stop 'eh 'nent or abutment for the other end of the spring. A retaining element in the form of a cotter pin 52 is extended through the shank 44 so as to prevent the displace ment of the nut 50. l

In applying the improved lock, it is merely necessary to detach the meter l2 by removing the nut 18 so -that the attaching plate 24 may be confined between the iange 20 and the upper side ol the cap. A hole may be drilled through the neck so that the shank of the keeper may be connected to the neck 6. lVhen it ie desired to till the radiator' with water, the pad lock may be detached so as to permit the cap to be detached.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a radiator having a neck and a cap threaded thereon, of a meter connected to the cap, an attaching plate engaged by said meter, a hasp carried by said attaching plate, and a yieldable keeper extending through the neck of said radiator and adapted for connection with said hasp.

2. The combination With a radiator hav, ing a neck and a cap, of a hasp connected to/ said cap, a keeper having a Shank slidable through Said neck, saith keeper being provided with a head adapted to extend through said ha-sp, and a lock ha 'Jing connection with Said head.

3. The combination with a radiator having a neck and a cap, of a hasp connected to said cap, a keeper having a shankslidable through said neck and a head adapted for connection with said haSp, a lock having connection with Said head, anda. spring mounted on said Shank and drawing said liasp into contact with the radiator and drawing Said lock into contact with Said hasp whereby rattling is prevented.

4. The combination with a radiator having a neck and a cap threaded thereon, of a meter mounted on said cap, an attaching plate confined between said meter and said cap, a hasp swingingly Supported? by Said plate and provided with an opening, a keeper having a looped head adapted for insertion through said opening, a lock engagef f u n n n able with said head, said keeper being provided with a shank slidable through said neck, a spring mounted on said Shank and adapted Jfor drawing said hasp into contact with` said radiator and drawing'. said lock into contact with the hasp whereby rattling is prevented, and a nut threaded on said shank and constituting an abutment for said spring.

In testimonyvwhereof I aix my signature.

DE EY E. VILSON. [L.s.] 

